1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, having a display portion for displaying the working condition thereof, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus in which the display portion visually changes in response to the change of the working condition of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For various kinds of image forming apparatuses, various technical proposals have previously been made with an object of enhancing the operation efficiency of the apparatus and improving the operability and the viewability of the display panel that forms the heart of the man-machine interface with the user.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-275290 (1999) proposes an apparatus in which no error indicating means is required because an error indication for notifying the user of an occurrence of an error such as an image reading error is provided by changing the color of the light emitted by a reading light source of image reading means.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-110033 (1994) discloses a technology with an object of improving the display brightness and resolution of the liquid crystal display by successively emitting lights of the three primary colors of a back light source and realizing multicolor display with one pixel.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-323905 (1993) discloses a technology associated with a color conversion processing in which by providing a color converter that generates an I signal (white pixel signal) from an RGB signal, the characteristic of display means including an I pixel can be used with the conventional CRT signal as it is.
Many of the display panels of conventional image forming apparatuses are of formats displaying mainly characters such as characters necessary for the user to operate the apparatus and characters representative of the operation status of the apparatus. Such display panels displaying characters frequently use color liquid crystal because it is necessary to read the displayed characters.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-131727 (1993) makes a proposal with an object of, in a printer having the function of displaying the printing contents relating to a display device, improving the operability and the maintainability by providing color display without the use of an additional storage device and enabling not only the printing contents but also an error indication, a warning indication, a maintenance indication and the like to be displayed on the display device by changing the hue.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-313455 (1993) describes a display device in which color filters capable of being freely inserted into and taken out of a gap between the liquid crystal display panel and the back light are provided as abnormality notifying means for notifying the user of an occurrence of an abnormality of the apparatus, and by superimposing on one another a plurality of such color filters having different hues, indications providing a warning and attracting the user""s attention can be displayed on the same screen by an operation of the color filters.
However, in the cases of JP-A 5-131727 and JP-A 5-313455, merely the process or the condition of the copier (for example, the copier is on standby or printing, or a trouble occurs) is displayed in color, and the user cannot obtain detailed information necessary for the user such that in each process, what working condition the apparatus is in and which functions are usable at present.
Particularly, networked copiers that have been increasing in recent years have a problem (inferiority in usability) such that although the apparatus is operating, since the user is uncertain when to apply an interrupt, to use a desired function, the user must wait until the apparatus stops.
The invention is made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of displaying information that the user wants to obtain in a visually easy-to-recognize manner.
The invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising:
a display portion for displaying a condition of the apparatus; and
a display condition control portion for changing, when the condition changes, a display condition of the display portion to a visually easy-to-recognize condition.
According to the invention, in response to the change of the condition (the change of the working condition and operation condition) of the apparatus (image forming apparatus), the display condition of the display portion, for example, the liquid crystal display condition, is changed to a visually easy-to-recognize condition (the hue, the color density, and the like are changed), so that the change of the working condition of the apparatus can be intuitively grasped easier than in the case where characters are displayed. Moreover, the structure of the display portion is simplified, which eliminates the need to secure a wider area in the display portion, thereby making the apparatus compact.
It is preferable that the invention is constructed as a complex image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising at least any one of:
original reading means for reading image information from an original;
image receiving means for receiving image information from a terminal connected to a network; and
line image receiving means for receiving image information from a telephone line; and
further comprising
image forming means for printing the image information obtained from the respective means.
According to the invention, in a complex image forming apparatus connected to a network, particularly, interrupt and waiting timings can be grasped properly. This helps suppress occurrence of idle times, so that the usability improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that a visual change of the display condition corresponds to a change of back light emitted from a back light element provided in the display portion.
According to the invention, the change of the apparatus condition is indicated by the change of the back light in the liquid crystal display of the display portion. This eliminates the need for a complicated control circuit, so that the structure of the display portion is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the back light element of the display portion for emitting back light is realized by a plurality of single color light emitting diodes of specific colors in combination or a color light emitting diode for emitting light of a plurality of colors, so that the display portion is capable of multiple color displays.
According to the invention, by realizing the back light element by using a plurality of single color LEDs of specific colors in combination or using a color LED, the display portion is capable of representing multiple colors. This eliminates the need for working on a new development, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the back light element of the display portion for emitting back light is realized by a plurality of single color electroluminescent elements of specific colors in combination or a color electroluminescent element for emitting light of a plurality of colors, so that the display portion is capable of multiple color displays.
According to the invention, by realizing the back light element by using a plurality of single color EL elements of specific colors in combination or using a color EL element, the display portion is capable of representing multiple colors. This eliminates the need for working on a new development, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that characters to be displayed on the display portion are varied in accordance with information obtained by the change of the condition.
According to the invention, by using already-existing LEDs or EL elements, the display of the characters of the display portion are varied. This eliminates the need for working on a new development, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that a color of characters displayed on the display portion is changed to a different color with the change of back light color, and the different color is a complementary color of the color of the back light.
According to the invention, the characters displayed on the display portion are displayed in a color that varies with the change of the back light color, and the varying color is in a complementary color relationship with the color of the back light. By doing so, even if the back light color is changed, the displayed characters are easy to recognize, so that the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the display portion improves.
In the invention; it is preferable that, when a back light color is visually a bright color, the characters are displayed in black on the display portion.
According to the invention, when the back light color is visually a bright color, the characters displayed on the display portion are displayed in black, so that sufficiently high contrast can be obtained and the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the character improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a back light color is visually a dark color, the characters are displayed as outline characters on the display portion.
According to the invention, when the back light color is visually a dark color, the characters displayed on the display portion are displayed as outline characters, so that sufficiently high contrast can be obtained and the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the character improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that the change of the back light corresponds to a change of a plurality of colors and the back light color of the display portion is varied in accordance with the change of the condition.
According to the invention, for example, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element in accordance with the change of the condition (the working condition, the operation condition, or others) of the apparatus, the color of the back light is selected by way of the liquid crystal display element. This eliminates the need for a complicated circuit structure, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the characters displayed on the display portion are varied by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element of the display portion in accordance with the change of the condition.
According to the invention, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element in accordance with the change of the condition of the apparatus, the characters displayed on the display portion are varied. This eliminates the need to fabricate a complicated circuit or the like, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the change of the back light corresponds to a plurality of colors and the back light color of the display portion as well as characters to be displayed on the display portion are varied in accordance with the change of the condition.
According to the invention, for example, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display device in accordance with the change of the condition of the apparatus, the selection of the back light color by way of the liquid crystal display element and the change of the characters displayed on the display portion are achieved concurrently, so that the viewability and the visual sensitivity of the liquid crystal display portion improve.
In the invention, it is preferable that the image forming apparatus has a plurality of processing modes, and back light of the display portion includes a reference color, and a processing mode selected from among the plurality of processing modes is indicated by the reference color.
According to the invention, by visually changing the liquid crystal display condition of the display device and simultaneously changing the display contents in response to the change of the condition of the apparatus, in contrast to the case where the change of the condition of the apparatus is displayed on the display portion with characters representing a new working condition, the display portion can be improved without a complicated configuration. Moreover, since it is not necessary to secure a wider area in the display portion, miniaturization and cost reduction can be achieved and the usability improves.
That is, the plurality of colors of the back light includes a reference color, and, in accordance with the reference color, the selected processing mode of the apparatus (the copier, printer, FAX, or scanner mode) is indicated. This makes it possible to recognize the processing mode of the apparatus without recognizing the characters displayed on the liquid display portion. Thus, the working condition (operation status) of the apparatus can be recognized in an instant, and the operation efficiency for interrupt or other operations is enhanced.
In the invention, it is preferable that a hue of the back light represents a processing status of the apparatus observed in the selected processing mode, and a change of the processing status is indicated by a change of the hue.
According to the invention, since the color of the back light varies from processing status to processing status in the processing mode of the apparatus, not only the processing mode of the apparatus but also the operation status observed in the processing mode can be recognized in an instant. This makes it possible to judge whether to perform an interrupt operation or to perform a waiting operation more properly, so that the usability improves and the rate of operation of the apparatus is increased.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a trouble occurs, a hue of the back light remains the same regardless of the current processing mode and processing status.
According to the invention, when the apparatus suffers a trouble, the back light hue remains uniform regardless of the processing mode or processing status, so that occurrence of troubles is confirmed without fail and troubleshooting can be made swiftly. Moreover, the number of back light hues can be reduced, thereby making the structure simple. In addition, it is possible to cope with emergency with reliability.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a trouble occurs, a hue of the back light is changed to a different hue in accordance with the current processing mode or processing status.
According to the invention, in preparation for occurrence of troubles, the hue of the back light varies to correspond to the processing mode or processing status. This makes it possible to immediately recognize the processing mode or processing status that led up to the trouble. Thus, the person who is responsible for the job which caused the trouble can restore the malfunctioning system to proper working condition on his/her own, so that it is unnecessary for all of the users who are performing a waiting operation in front of the apparatus to troubleshoot. In this way, unnecessary operations can be avoided, and, with the awareness of recurrence of similar troubles in a specific processing mode or processing status, effective measures can be taken against problems that might occur from then on. As a result, the rate of operation of the apparatus improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a problem occurs, a color of the back light and displayed characters are changed in accordance with the contents of the trouble.
According to the invention, when the apparatus suffers a trouble, the back light color and displayed characters are varied in accordance with the contents of the trouble. By doing so, in accordance with the contents of the trouble, for example, paper jam, shortage of recording paper, running out of toner, or mechanism malfunction, user levels capable of countering these troubles can be confirmed. This helps save a plurality of users from having to troubleshoot, so that troubleshooting can be done properly and the rate of operation of the apparatus improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, in response to the change of the condition of the apparatus, a plurality of display modes can be selectively applied to the display portion.
According to the invention, the change of the condition of the image forming apparatus can be switched by using a plurality of display modes in combination. This enables the user to recognize the condition of the apparatus an instant, thereby eliminating the need for complicated operations and improving the operability.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of display modes correspond to a variation of display form displayed on the display portion and a variation of display area.
According to the invention, the display form displayed on the display portion and the display area can be changed, so that only noteworthy information is obtained from the display portion displaying various apparatus conditions. Moreover, since various apparatus conditions can be displayed on the display portion as required (without performing complicated operations), the viewability (visual sensitivity) improves in the case where the display portion is frequently viewed, for example, during condition settings. Further, during the execution of the operation in each mode, other users are able to recognize the operating status in an instant, so that judgment on interrupt or waiting operations associated with the apparatus is facilitated with reliability.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of display modes correspond to a variation of brightness of back light in the display portion.
According to the invention, the brightness of the back light of the display portion can be utilized in combination. This enables the user to find which information displayed on the display portion is noteworthy. Thus, even in cases where complicated function settings, such as condition settings, are performed, the operations are simple enough for first-time use by neophytes.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of display modes correspond to a dynamic change of a hue of back light in the display portion.
According to the invention, the hue of the back light of the display portion can be dynamically changed. This makes it possible to notify the user of which information displayed on the display portion is noteworthy. Thus, even in cases where complicated function settings, such as condition settings, are performed, the operations are simple enough for first-time use by neophytes.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of display modes are realized by a combination of variations of display form displayed on the display portion and display area, a variation of brightness of back light in the display portion, and a dynamic change of a hue of back light in the display portion
According to the invention, in accordance with the user""s instruction or the like, combination and selection (a wider choice of alternatives is offered in this case) of the various display and instruction modes of the display portion can be made, so that a display portion can be provided that satisfies the user""s demands.
In the invention, it is preferable that a display region of back light of the display portion is divided into a plurality of portions on the display portion so that working conditions of individual constituent parts of the apparatus are separately displayed.
According to the invention, the region of the back light of the display portion is split into several portions, so that the working conditions of the individual units constituting the apparatus are checked in an instant, and settings of various display conditions can be made. Moreover, the display portion per se is built as a single unit, so that the manufacture is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the image forming apparatus has a plurality of processing modes, and the display portion performs color display by back light based on a change of a processing mode of the image forming apparatus, and whether the image forming apparatus is under service conditions or not can be visually checked by a change of brightness of the back light.
According to the invention, in response to the change of the condition of the apparatus, the liquid crystal display condition of the display portion is visually changed and the display contents are varied. By doing so, in contrast to the case where characters are displayed, the structure of the display portion is simplified, and without the need for a wider space in the display portion, the apparatus can be made compact, thereby achieving cost reduction. Moreover, with the reliable display, higher usability can be obtained.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display condition control portion is provided with a plurality of background color light emitting circuits, and the brightness of the back light varies to correspond to the processing mode of the image forming apparatus in use.
According to the intention, the change of the brightness of the display portion is realized as the change of the back light. This eliminates the need for a complicated control circuit, thereby achieving cost reduction. By making the brightness change possible in that way, the condition change of the apparatus can be confirmed at a glance, so that the viewability (visual sensitivity) improves significantly.
In the invention, it is preferable that the change of the processing mode is indicated by changing the back light brightness in accordance with an input from an operation portion of the image forming apparatus or a printing request from individual terminals connected to the image forming apparatus.
According to the invention, the change of the processing mode can be realized by changing the brightness of the display portion in accordance with information derived from an input from the operation portion of the apparatus and a printing request from the individual terminals (a computer, FAX, or the like) connected to the apparatus. This eliminates the need for working on a new development, so that the system can be constructed only with the existing functions, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that, the complex image forming apparatus has a plurality of processing modes, and when the display portion is arranged according to a processing mode of the image forming apparatus, a hue of back light varies to correspond to the processing mode, and the hue of the back light also varies to correspond to a processing status.
According to the invention, in response to the change of the condition of the image forming apparatus, the liquid crystal display condition of the display portion arranged according to the processing mode is visually changed. By doing so, in contrast to the case where characters are displayed, the structure of the display portion is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction, Moreover, the processing mode of the apparatus can be intuitively grasped without reading the characters displayed on the liquid crystal display portion, so that the viewability (visual sensitivity) improves significantly. Thus, the working condition (operation status) of the apparatus can be recognized in an instant, so that the usability improves significantly.
In the invention, it is preferable that, back light colors which are mutually largely different in Lab level are employed to easily identify respective processing modes by a difference among back light colors.
According to the invention, by using a largely different hue for each processing mode (the copier, printer, FAX, and scanner modes), it is possible to immediately identify which processing mode of the complex image forming apparatus is in an operable state, so that the usability improves significantly.
In the invention, it is preferable that back light color is varied within approximately the same kind of color Lab level in accordance with contents of processing.
According to the invention, the hue is varied within the same kind of color level in accordance with the contents of processing (the ready state, the standby state, the operating state, and the like) in the processing mode. By doing so, the processing mode of the apparatus can be recognized in an instant without reading the displayed characters. Accordingly, the processing mode can be easily identified with reliability regardless of the contents of processing.
In the invention, it is preferable that, in each processing mode, at the time when a trouble occurs or when a supply needs replacing, to provide a warning, back light color is made uniform regardless of the processing mode.
According to the invention, when the apparatus suffers a trouble, the back light hue is made uniform regardless of the processing mode or processing status, so that the trouble is detected without fail and troubleshooting can be made swiftly. Moreover, the number of hues of the back light can be reduced and thus the structure is simplified, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that, in each processing mode, during one processing mode is in operation, the back light element corresponding to the other processing mode is turned off.
According to the invention, during one processing mode is in operation, the back light element corresponding to the other processing mode is turned off, so that the mode in operation can be easily identified with reliability, and power consumption is reduced, thereby improving the energy saving effect.
In the invention, it is preferable that, in each processing mode, during one processing mode is in operation, a back light element with a hue representative of another reservable or interruptable processing mode is turned on.
According to the invention, the liquid crystal display condition is visually varied in accordance with the condition of a reservable or interruptable processing mode. By doing so, the working condition (operation status) of the apparatus can be grasped in an instant and the information on an operable processing mode can be obtained with reliability. As a result, unnecessary operations can be avoided, so that the rate of operation of the apparatus improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display condition of the display portion is visually varied and contents of display are changed in accordance with a progress of processing.
According to the invention, in response to the change of the condition of the image forming apparatus, the liquid crystal display condition of the display device is visually varied and the contents of display are changed. By doing so, in contrast to the case where characters are displayed, the structure of the display portion is simplified, and further, since it is unnecessary to secure a wider area in the display portion, the cost can be reduced. Moreover, the display condition can be confirmed from a distance, so that the viewability (visual sensitivity) improves significantly.
In the invention, it is preferable that a change of the display contents of the display portion is made by changing characters to be displayed on the display portion based on information obtained from the change of the condition of the image forming apparatus.
According to the invention, the change of the display contents of the display portion is made by changing the characters displayed on the display portion based on the information obtained by the change of the condition of the apparatus. This makes it possible to utilize the existing functions and thus reduce the cost.
In the invention, it is preferable that a color of characters to be displayed on the display portion is changed to a different color with the change of back light color, and the different color is a complementary color of the color of the back light.
According to the invention, the color of the characters displayed on the display portion (liquid crystal) varies with the change of the back light color, and the varying color is in a complementary color relationship with the color of the back light. By doing so, even in a case where the hue of the back light is varied, the viewability of the displayed characters improves and higher usability can be attained.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when back light color is visually a bright color, characters are displayed in black on the display portion.
According to the invention, when the back light color is visually a bright color, the characters the display portion in the display portion are displayed in black, so that sufficiently high contrast can be obtained and the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the displayed character improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when back light color is visually a dark color, characters are displayed are displayed as outline characters on the display portion.
According to the invention, when the back light color is visually a dark color, the characters displayed on the display portion are displayed as outline characters, so that sufficiently high contrast can be obtained and the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the displayed character improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of colors of back light of the display portion are selected by controlling a voltage applied to electrodes of liquid crystal cells constituting a liquid crystal display element of the display portion in accordance with a change of working status.
According to the invention, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element in accordance with the change of the condition of the apparatus, the color of the back light is selected by way of the liquid crystal display element. This eliminates the need to fabricate a complicated circuit or the like, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that the characters displayed on the display portion is varied by controlling a voltage applied to electrodes of liquid crystal cells constituting a liquid crystal display element of the display portion in accordance with a change of working status.
According to the invention, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element in accordance with the change of the condition of the apparatus, the characters displayed on the display portion is varied. This eliminates the need to fabricate a complicated circuit or the like, thereby achieving cost reduction.
In the invention, it is preferable that a plurality of colors of back light of the display portion are selected by controlling a voltage applied to electrodes of liquid crystal cells constituting a liquid crystal display element of the display portion in accordance with a change of working status, and the characters to be displayed on the display portion is varied by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element of the display portion in accordance with the change of the working status.
According to the invention, by controlling the voltage applied to the electrodes of the liquid crystal cells constituting the liquid crystal display element in accordance with the change of the condition of the apparatus, the selection of the back light color by way of the liquid crystal display element and the change of the characters displayed on the display portion are achieved concurrently. This makes it possible to increase the variety of the contents of the liquid crystal display, to realize more suitable display, and to improve the usability.
In the invention, it is preferable that the plurality of colors of the back light includes a reference color, and, in accordance with the reference color, the progress of the processing in a selected processing mode is indicated by the back light.
According to the invention, the plurality of colors of the back light includes a reference color, and, in accordance with the reference color, the progress of the processing in the selected processing mode of the apparatus (the copier, printer, FAX, or scanner mode) is indicated, so that the progress of the processing of the apparatus can be recognized without confirming the characters displayed on the liquid crystal display portion, This makes it possible to recognize the change of the condition of the apparatus in an instant, and to make judgment as to whether or not an interrupt operation is possible and a grasp of a waiting time properly, so that the usability improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display portion is capable of displaying other information than inputting conditions for the apparatus in question.
According to the invention, the display portion is capable of displaying other information than inputting conditions for the apparatus (the current condition of progress of the processing, the list of the locations of trouble occurrences, the use condition of the consumables, the list of the charging systems, etc.). Therefore, not only it is possible to enable the user involved in the operation of the apparatus to recognize the condition of the apparatus, but it is also possible to, when the user in question left the place, enable the other user to recognize the condition of the apparatus with ease. Consequently, troubleshooting or an operable interrupt processing of the apparatus can be easily recognized, so that the rate of operation of the apparatus is increased.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when the image forming apparatus is out of service and is in the standby state with its power source turned on, the back light element is turned off.
According to the invention, when the apparatus is in the energy saving mode, by turning off the back light, the power consumed by the apparatus can be reduced, thereby improving the energy saving effect.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when the image forming apparatus is deactivated, or when no user is found around the apparatus, the back light element is turned off.
According to the invention, when the image forming apparatus is deactivated, or when no user is found around the apparatus, by turning off the back light, the power consumed by the apparatus can be reduced, thereby improving the energy saving effect.
In the invention, it is preferable that the back light element is turned on after the approach of users is detected by a reflection-type sensor arranged in an exterior portion of the image forming apparatus.
According to the invention, the display portion is turned on after the reflection-type sensor arranged in the exterior portion of the image forming apparatus detects the approach of users who intend to confirm the condition of the apparatus (specifically, to collect printing paper) or to use the apparatus (specifically, to make a request for printing in the copier mode or a request for transmission in the FAX mode), so that the usability improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, the image forming apparatus has a FAX mode, and in the FAX mode, when a job for data reception is finished, the back light element is turned on to provide a warning that received data is present.
According to the invention, in the FAX mode, when the job for data reception is finished, the back light element is turned on to provide a warning that received data is present. This makes it possible to immediately recognize the job status with ease, so that the user convenience improves.
In the invention, it is preferable that, the image forming apparatus has a printer mode, and in the printer mode, when a job for a print request is finished, the back light element is turned on to provide notification that the job is completed.
According to the invention, in the printer mode, when the job for a print request is finished, the back light element is turned on to provide notification that the job is completed. This makes it possible to immediately recognize the job status with ease, so that the user convenience improves.
The invention further provides an image forming apparatus comprising:
a display panel for displaying a working condition and operation condition of the image forming apparatus;
a temperature setting requiring portion having a heat source, the portion requiring temperature setting;
a temperature detecting means disposed in the temperature setting requiring portion; and
a display condition control portion for providing, based on a temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, notification of normality and abnormality of the temperature by changing a display condition of the display panel.
According to the invention, in accordance with the working condition (change) of the temperature setting requiring portion at that time, the display condition of the display panel, for example, the hue of the back light, is varied. By doing so, in contrast to the case where characters are displayed, the contents of the display can be intuitively grasped with ease, that is, the viewability (visual sensitivity) of the display contents improves significantly.
Moreover, the structure of the display portion can be made simpler than in the case where characters are displayed, and without the need to secure a wider area in the display portion, the simplification and miniaturization of the structure of the display portion can be achieved, thereby reducing the cost and improving the usability. Consequently, maintenance and inspection can be automatically performed in a proper manner without stopping the apparatus.
In the invention, it is preferable that the temperature setting requiring portion is fixing means, process means, or optical means.
According to the invention, the temperature of the temperature setting requiring portion that requires temperature setting (temperature condition) can be confirmed at a glance by the visual change of the display panel without leaving the apparatus open and touching the inner part of the apparatus, so that the user convenience and safety improve.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display condition control portion controls the display condition of the display panel such that a hue is varied to correspond to each temperature setting requiring portion, and that, as the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means disposed in the temperature setting requiring portion rises, the hue becomes denser within the same kind of color.
According to the invention, the temperature condition of the temperature setting requiring portion can be intuitively grasped from outside by the display condition of the display panel, for example, the hue of the back light and the density thereof, so that the life, durability, or the like of each temperature setting requiring portion can be separately grasped with reliability.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display condition control portion is capable of detecting a number of sheets having undergone printing in the image forming apparatus by changing a temperature display condition of the fixing means in the display panel.
According to the invention, in addition to the temperature condition of the fixing means during printing, the number of sheets having undergone printing at that time can be grasped, so that the usability and safety improve.
In the invention, it is preferable that, during warm-up processing started immediately after power is turned on, the display condition of the display panel is kept identical with a temperature display condition of the fixing means.
According to the invention, by displaying the temperature condition in the display panel until the apparatus enters the printing-ready state, the working condition of the apparatus can be grasped with reliability, so that the operation efficiency is enhanced.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a temperature of the temperature setting requiring portion exceeds a predetermined temperature, the display condition control portion activates temperature cooling means disposed in the temperature setting requiring portion to adjust the temperature of the temperature setting requiring portion to an appropriate temperature (set temperature).
According to the invention, the temperature of each temperature setting requiring portion is adjusted to an appropriate temperature before an abnormality occurs in the temperature setting requiring portion, so that the apparatus can be maintained properly, the life thereof is prolonged, and the rate of operation is increased.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when a temperature of the temperature setting requiring portion falls below a predetermined temperature, the display condition control portion activates a temperature increasing means disposed in the temperature setting requiring portion to adjust the temperature of the temperature setting requiring portion to an appropriate temperature (set temperature).
According to the invention, the temperature of each temperature setting requiring portion is adjusted to an appropriate temperature before an abnormality occurs in the temperature setting requiring portion, so that the apparatus can be maintained properly, the life thereof is prolonged, and the rate of operation is increased.
In the invention, it is preferable that, when an abnormal temperature which deviates from the predetermined temperature is detected in the temperature setting requiring portion, the display condition control portion provides a warning of the abnormality in such a manner that, in the display panel, an abnormally high temperature and an abnormally low temperature are indicated by mutually different hues.
According to the invention, the abnormality of each temperature setting requiring portion can be properly grasped by the warning. Moreover, with the awareness of recurrence of similar troubles in a specific temperature setting requiring portion, effective measures can be taken against problems that might occur from then on.
It is preferable that the invention is constructed as a complex image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising at least any one of:
original reading means for reading image information from an original;
image receiving means for receiving image information from a terminal connected to a network; and
line image receiving means for receiving image information from a telephone line; and
further comprising:
image forming means for printing the image information obtained from the respective means.
According to the invention, in a complex image forming apparatus connected to a network, particularly, interrupt timings can be grasped properly, so that the user convenience and usability improve.